Two weekends ago we visited the Richmond Craft Mafia’s Spring Bada-Bing craft show at Plant Zero. The event — part of Richmond’s vibrant handmade and indie craft scene — was similar to their Handmade Holiday fair we attended in December. Since that earlier post was so popular, we wanted to share the best finds and local artisan work we discovered this time around. We didn’t leave with the same haul as last year, but we did pick up a few favorite pieces. Read on for a walk through the show and a reveal of what came home with us.
Just inside the show space our eyes landed on a print by Matt Butler. Sherry immediately thought of a friend who loves bacon; I started craving breakfast. Butler’s work—playful linocut prints and painted Toms—sets a tongue-in-cheek tone, and we lingered over the “Whale Love” print for a while.
Matt Butler’s hand-carved linocuts and illustrated pieces balance humor with skilled craftsmanship. His booth was a fun reminder that art can be clever and decorative at once.
One standout concept was Articipe, who transforms family recipes into cheerful personalized art. Bring a handwritten recipe and she converts it into a framed keepsake — a lovely gift idea for cooks, bakers, and families who want to preserve treasured formulas in a visual form.
State-themed art is always a favorite of ours, so Jennifer Allevato’s embroidered state hoop art caught our attention. Her Etsy shop offers custom pieces for any state, making them perfect souvenirs or housewarming gifts for anyone who loves local pride and handmade textile art.
We also found ceramics that felt refreshingly original. The Runny Bunny creates mismatched animal-figure hybrids—garden gnomes on bird bodies, rabbits on elegant figurine forms—each one a playful conversation piece that drew crowds throughout the show. Sherry admired a finch with a truck head, while I liked a gentlemanly figure with a deer head.
Given our recent experiments with succulents, Terrariums by Rich were a big draw. Beautifully composed glass worlds—some featuring tiny figurines or playful accents—these terrariums make indoor planting approachable and decorative. One large centerpiece terrarium was especially striking.
Modern June showed a creative chalkboard rooster decal that reimagines the traditional chalkboard with a graphic twist—an idea worth bookmarking for kitchen command centers and entryway notes.
Moonlight Bindery offered cleverly bound books using Lego pieces as part of the cover or binding system, ranging from small wallet-sized notebooks to larger formats that tapped into childhood nostalgia. It was a neat intersection of craft and design.
Sherry was smitten with hand-stamped silver utensils from Milk & Honey Luxuries—perfect for sentimental gifts—while I was amused by their playful forks engraved with “nom nom nom.” Personalized flatware remains a charming way to mark special occasions.
The show included jewelry, clothing, and body products too. Whispering Willow’s organic soaps not only smelled amazing, they were also displayed on slices of tree trunk—an easy DIY display idea if you want a rustic soap dish at home.
It was also great to reconnect with booths we’d seen before. Silver Tree Art showcased colorful Wisdom Cards, and Tasha McKelvey returned with her delicate nesting bird bowls—each smaller bowl featuring one fewer egg, a detail we loved.
We stopped by KShonk Designs to say hello to Karyn and admire her sparkly jewelry in person. Nearby, Inedible Jewelry showed off tongue-in-cheek pieces—pork chop cuff links among them—that add humor to men’s accessories.
We checked in with Lazymuse Productions, known for crocheted jellyfish and quirky cat toys; this time they had a colorful cactus display. Funnelcloud Studio and Zou Zou’s Basement both offered prints we loved—whales, ostriches, and other whimsical designs in striking palettes.
Turnerbot’s handcrafted figures drew Sherry in with their glazed eyes and individual charm. Lucky Accessories displayed bright enameled penny necklaces that nearly came home with us, too.
So what did we bring home? The reveal is in this picture:
We picked up a cheerful trio of crocheted cacti from Lazymuse Productions. Priced at $10 each, they’re larger than they look in photos—the tallest is about 7″—and their charm won us over. We started with the plan to buy only one, then ended up with three because, as Sherry put it, things often look best in threes. They’re perfect on our office window ledge: bright, low-maintenance, and completely indestructible compared with the real plants we sometimes manage to topple.
The Spring Bada-Bing was a great showcase of Richmond’s handmade community—talented makers, clever products, and inspiring displays. Have you visited any craft fairs, art shows, or farmers’ markets recently? What local finds came home with you?
Psst — we announced the winner for this week’s giveaway. Click the original post to see if it’s you.